Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 devs receive rare honor from French Ministry of Culture, previously won by Shigeru Miyamoto and the creator of Rayman

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3. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 devs receive rare honor from French Ministry of Culture, previously won by Shigeru Miyamoto and the creator of Rayman News By Anthony McGlynn published 6 February 2026

Sandfall's historic run continues

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After sweeping The Game Awards and capturing our hearts wholesale, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's plaudits continue still. Studio Sandfall Interactive has now received an award from the government of France for creating a milestone in the country's game development scene.

"We were received yesterday at the Ministry of Culture to celebrate our game, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33," Sandfall Interactive says in a LinkedIn post, as spotted by VideoGamer. "As such, the members of Sandfall Interactive were awarded the Order of Arts and Letters. This distinction honors us, and our deepest thanks go especially to our team who shaped this world and to the millions of players who have brought it to life."

Getting the respect of your peers is an impressive feat, but getting noticed and picked for a cultural nod from your country is something else, especially for video games. Despite the scale of the industry, games don't always attract the same prestige and attention within the arts as film or literature.

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• French President congratulates Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 a second time after the RPG's record-breaking awards haul
• "After Baldur's Gate 3, I didn't think we'd be in this position": The team behind Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 can't quite believe they've matched Larian's award wins
• Not even Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 devs can believe it's the most-nominated Game Awards title in history: "There are so many deserving, precious games from this year"

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 | Thank You Update Trailer - YouTube Watch On

That said, Clair Obscur's success didn't go un-noticed within the French political sphere. President Emmanuel Macron called the JRPG-inspired game a "great price" for the team's home city of Montpellier, and the country as a whole, while congratulating them on being the first Game of the Year winner at The Game Awards to be from France.

Rachida Dati, the Minister of Culture in France, noted Sandfall's achievement on Twitter, saying the country affirms what games bring to it culturally. Now the studio joins legends such as Nintendo icon Shigeru Miyamoto, Rayman creator Michel Ancel, and Frédérick Raynal, who made the original Alone in the Dark, as recipients of the Order of Arts and Letters, placing them in extremely strong company.

After Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was snubbed at the Grammys, legendary Journey composer Austin Wintory dedicates his win to Sandfall's "once-in-a-generation-level rarity"

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Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. CATEGORIES PC Gaming PS5 Xbox Series X Platforms PlayStation Xbox Anthony McGlynnSocial Links NavigationContributing Writer

Anthony is an Irish entertainment and games journalist, now based in Glasgow. He previously served as Senior Anime Writer at Dexerto and News Editor at The Digital Fix, on top of providing work for Variety, IGN, Den of Geek, PC Gamer, and many more. Besides Studio Ghibli, horror movies, and The Muppets, he enjoys action-RPGs, heavy metal, and pro-wrestling. He interviewed Animal once, not that he won’t stop going on about it or anything.

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